You just arrived home from work and were about to take a rest. It was a busy day after all. You pour yourself a cup of tea and head to your bench but your dog accidentally bumps you. The tea spills on your pants that you are still about to use for tomorrow’s shift.
You head on to your laundry room only to discover that you are out of laundry detergent. You don’t want to be bothered to go outside, you are too tired, and it’s already late at night. Then you see a tempting stock of dishwasher pods by the counter. Now you’re wondering if you can use dishwasher pods for laundry if you do not have any laundry detergent.
Even during this situation, please don’t pick up that dishwasher pod and listen to me first. You should not use a dishwasher pod or dish soap as a substitute for laundry detergent. Each cleaner is made for specific purposes. Dishwasher detergent for instance has harsh ingredients that could ruin your clothes.
In today’s post, we are going to answer whether you can use dishwasher pods for laundry or laundry pods for dishwashing. Moreover, we would also inform you what are the differences between the two. Lastly, we would share with you why you should not use dishwasher pods for your clothes.
Why You Should Not Use Dishwasher Pods for Laundry
They may look similar upfront but dishwasher pods contain different chemical properties as compared to laundry detergents. One of the main components of a dishwasher pod is foaming agents that can cause foam overflow. They lather up properly as they are designed to remove stains, and dissolve grease and fat commonly found in foods. You may think that the excess bubbles that fill your washing machine would clean your stuff, but they don’t. The extra foam produced by dishwashing detergents would be difficult to remove during the rinse cycle should you use it in your washing machine. Another factor is the use of bleach and ammonia. Dishwasher detergent contains these components that would definitely cause discoloration on fabrics. Not only are you not washing your clothes properly; you are also giving them irreversible damage. Furthermore, since dishwashers use warm water to dissolve dishwasher pods and clean the dishes, using these on your washers may leave residue in your machine. This is because you do not normally need hot water to wash your clothes. To put it simply, do not go into the trouble of ruining your fabrics and washing machine by avoiding the use of dishwasher pods in your tub.
What About Laundry Pods, Can You Use Them for Dishes?
While they are both cleaning agents that can dissolve and grime and remove other stains, you can’t use the other as a replacement.
Dish soap contains chemicals that dissolve grease and stains from food. However, these are not present in laundry detergents as they do not generally target the same type of dirt.
Laundry detergents are filled with strong fragrances, not an ideal residue to leave on your dishes. In addition, they also contain stain removers, brighteners, and other chemicals that may not dissolve completely during the washing cycle and are harmful when ingested.
If you want to protect your and your family’s health, only use dishwashing detergent to clean your dishes.
What Are The Differences Between Dishwasher Pods and Laundry Pods?
Dishwasher pods and laundry pods look similar after you take them out from their colorful boxes or containers. Both of them are also great cleaning agents. However, they have distinct differences and should not be used interchangeably.
Both household cleaners have surfactants which are compounds that make cleaners work better. Surfactants can lower the surface tension in water which makes molecules slippier, thus helping to remove oil and grime.
Although both of them are surfactants, they have different types of agents. Dishwashing detergents contain non-ionic surfactants that target oil, lipids, and fat deposits found in foods. On the other hand, laundry detergents have mostly anionic surfactants that deal with dirt and stains.
Why You Should Not Wash Clothes With Dishwasher Pods or Tablets
If you want to wear clean clothes, avoid using dishwasher pods on your washing machine. These dishwashing detergents are meant to form more bubbles as they are used to remove oil and dissolve fat. Hence, the excess foam would be very difficult to rinse using the washing machine.
Unlike dishwashers, washing machines do not usually use warm water. The pods may not dissolve completely leaving you with residue in your clothes and washer. Moreover, you are also subjecting them to discoloration as they contain significant levels of bleach.
Summary
Dishwashing pods and laundry detergent pods may look similar and have cleaning properties but they do not work the same way. Dishwashing pods, like other dishwashing detergents, produce excess foam as they are meant to dissolve fat and oil. Thus, they leave excess soap when used in fabrics. They may also cause fabric discoloration due to their bleaching properties.
On the other hand, laundry detergents are usually loaded with fragrances and have stain removers and brighteners that do not dissolve completely when used in the dishwasher. They are also harmful when ingested.
If this post helped you, please do not hesitate to share this on your social media pages with your friends who may be facing the same dilemma!
Want to share this?
